Welcome to Hyperion Records, an independent British classical label devoted to presenting high-quality recordings of music of all styles and from all periods from the twelfth century to the twenty-first.

Hyperion offers both CDs, and downloads in a number of formats. The site is also available in several languages.

Please use the dropdown buttons to set your preferred options, or use the checkbox to accept the defaults.

Introduction

This is not so much a hymn for Easter as one that celebrates the whole of the saving work of God, envisaged from before Creation, displayed first in the deliverance of Israel from Egypt, carried out on the Cross, proclaimed in Resurrection and Ascension. The Church needs such hymns that speak of this work as ‘for us and our redemption’ but which concentrate on what God has done regardless of our feelings about it. The very fact that we want to sing this exultant hymn about that work shows that we are in fact responding, without needing to emphasize our feelings. It is the work of St John of Damascus, one of the great school of Greek hymn-writers whose huge cycles of hymns are almost unknown to us. The translation is the work of J M Neale who introduced us to many of these great hymns.

In a long life A H Brown wrote many hymn tunes. This tune first appeared in the appendix to the first edition of Hymns Ancient and Modern, 1868.

Details

Come, ye faithful, raise the strain Of triumphant gladness! God hath brought his Israel Into joy from sadness; Loosed from Pharaoh’s bitter yoke Jacob’s sons and daughters; Led them with unmoistened foot Through the Red Sea waters.

’Tis the spring of souls today; Christ hath burst his prison, And from three days’ sleep in death As a sun hath risen: All the winter of our sins, Long and dark, is flying From his light to whom we give Laud and praise undying.

Now the queen of seasons, bright With the day of splendour, With the royal feast of feasts, Comes its joy to render; Comes to glad Jerusalem, Who with true affection Welcomes in unwearied strains Jesu’s Resurrection.

Alleluia now we cry To our King immortal, Who triumphant burst the bars Of the tomb’s dark portal; Alleluia, with the Son God the Father praising; Alleluia yet again To the Spirit raising.